Hand stamp sets are a great way to leave your company's mark on all sorts of materials, from glass to leather to metals. The sets are fairly inexpensive and can be customized with a specific image, although typically they include interchangeable letters and numbers.

When you go to buy hand stamp sets, you'll find hand stamp sets pricing and costs vary greatly. Factors that influence the price include the type of set, the size of stamps and whether or not the stamp includes a custom image. When purchasing hand stamp sets, you may need:

1. General purpose steel hand stamp sets;

2. Heavy-duty hand stamp sets that can be used to mark products made from materials such as leather;

3. And rubber and self-inking hand stamp sets for light-duty stamping.

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Purchase general purpose steel hand stamp sets

General purpose steel hand stamp sets are good for medium and light-duty marking. They are handheld and struck with a hammer, so the grip and shape of the stamp matter. Prices depend on the character size and type, but generally, a complete set runs between $30 and $150.

I recommend: Take a look at National Supply Source to get a good feel for the prices of different sizes of general purpose steel hand stamp sets. Wholesale Tool is another good resource to browse pricing. The company's website displays more than a dozen types of general purpose steel hand stamp sets.

Invest in hand stamp sets for leather products

General use alphabet and numeric hand stamp sets for leather products typically cost between $10 and $30. However, you can have the stamps customized with your company's logo or another image. In this case, the stamps will cost you about $150 to $200 each, although the actual price will depend on the size and the complexity of the image.

I recommend: Loonfeather Leather gives a good example of the price range for alphabet and number sets that can be used to stamp leather products. For sample prices of custom steel hand stamp sets, and examples of what types of sets you can get for around $150, check out Infinity Stamps.

Buy rubber and self-inking hand stamp sets

Rubber and self-inking hand stamp sets are ideal for stamping paperwork, glass and other light jobs. With a variety of uses, these stamps save you the trouble of buying ink pads and re-inking the stamp for each mark. Rubber and self-inking hand stamp sets typically cost between $15 and $30 each, depending on the size of the stamp and the number of lines.

I recommend: Take a look at Hitt Marking Devices to get a good idea of the prices for self-inking hand stamp sets pricing and costs. Rubber Stamp Champ is also helpful in determining prices of customized rubber hand stamp sets.

Hand stamp sets are a useful and time saving when processing mail, invoices or labeling items. Hand stamps come with standard messages or can be customized to print information such as a mailing address or check deposit information.

Steel hand stamp sets are used for marking items such as leather or plastic. A small hammer is used to tap the end of the stamp, which makes an impression in the item. Pre-inked hand stamps are stamps that have a built in ink pad that coats the stamp perfectly with each use. Standard hand stamps are typically made from wood or plastic. Standard stamps have to have ink from an ink pad applied before each use. Consider the following when purchasing hand stamp sets:

1. Buy steel hand stamps for making impressions in wood, plastic, leather and some metals.

2. Purchase pre-inked hand stamps for high usage stamps.

3. Customize hand stamps with personal information.

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Purchase steel hand stamp sets

Steel hand stamps are used to make impression in wood, plastic, leather and soft metals. Steel hand stamps come in varying sizes including 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 inches. Use a small mallet to make the impressions with the steel hand stamps.

I recommend: CVF Supply Company is a hand stamp sets provider. They carry steel stamp sets that include the letters A to Z and numbers 0 to 9. Grainger is another provider of steel hand stamp sets. Find hand stamps in varying sizes with sets of numbers only, or letters and numbers.

Find hand stamp sets that are pre-inked

Rubber hand stamps that are pre-inked help to save time for personal and business mailings. Pre-inked stamps apply the perfect amount of ink every time they are used, and can be used thousands of times before they need to be replaced.

I recommend: Fred Lake is a provider of customizable hand stamps. Their hand stamps are designed according to your exact specifications and are pre-inked for ease of use. Labels Express is another pre-inked hand stamp provider. Find standard number stamps, or customize a stamp according to your specifications. There are several stamps to choose from in their hand stamp sets directory.

Locate a hand stamp sets provider

Rubber hand stamps come with standard information or can be customized to any specification. Hand stamp sets list varying amounts of information depending on the size of stamp. A large hand stamp can list up to eight lines of information while the smallest stamp may list only three.

I recommend: iPrint designs custom hand stamps according to customer specification. Their hand stamps come in varying sizes from 1 3/4 by 1/2 inches, to 3 1/4 by 2 inches. Hand stamp sets information can include business name, contact information or invoice information. Rubber Stamp Man customizes wood handled hand stamps with your choice of information.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The cost of a standard hand stamp and ink pads is about the same price as a pre-inked hand stamp.

Hand stamp sets are an easy and convenient way to mark a variety of materials, including glass, metal, and leather. Sets typically consist of metal stamps with numbers or letters on them. The numbers and letters are interchangeable, so your employees can use them to spell out manufacturing information, dates, your company's name, or anything else you need. The mark is made by hitting the stamps with a small handheld hammer.

Hand stamp sets can also be customized with a logo, design, or image instead of letters or numbers. As you look for the right hand stamp set types and styles for your company, be sure to consider the following:

1. Alphabetic hand stamp sets

2. Numeric hand stamp sets

3. Customized hand stamp sets

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Check out different types of alphabetic hand stamp sets

Alphabetic hand stamp sets include all 26 letters and common punctuation marks, typically packed into a small case. Character size normally ranges from around 3/32 of an inch to 3/4 of an inch. Most tips are either beveled or rounded.

I recommend: Toolfetch has dozens of types of alphabetic hand stamp sets on display on its website. Click on the picture of the set that you are interested in for additional details, pictures, and information on accessories. Argon Tool also has a good selection of standard hand stamp sets pictured on its website.

Browse types of numeric hand stamp sets

Numeric hand stamps sets include numbers from zero to 10, allowing your employees to mark any numeric combination. Similar to alphabetic hand stamp sets, numbered sets typically come with beveled or rounded tips and are available in a range of sizes and strengths. If you need to mark both numbers and letters, then you should check out combination hand stamp sets.

I recommend: W.W. Grainger is a great place to view a wide selection of numeric hand stamp sets. The site also shows examples of number and letter combination sets. Drill Spot has dozens of types of numeric and combination hand stamp sets on display.

View examples of custom hand stamp sets

If you want to create a distinctive marking, then consider types of custom hand stamp sets. Custom sets contain your personalized design, logo, or image. This will set you apart and prevent your marking from being confused with any other. Most custom hand stamp manufacturers allow you to fax or e-mail your artwork, simplifying the customization process.

I recommend: Take a look at the types of custom hand stamp sets posted at Columbia Marking Tools. Also, Pannier has good examples of custom hand stamp sets and excellent information about the various specifications available.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you will be using your hand stamp sets for heavy-duty marking, then be sure to select a heavy-duty set. A standard set will break under strenuous conditions.

Hand stamps are used for everything from mailings to marking your company logo into plastic piping. It is important to asses whether you would benefit from pre-inked rubber stamps or whether a standard stamp set would do. If you need to make impressions in leather or other tough surfaces, you should decide whether you need a beveled steel hand stamp set or if you prefer the rounded option. Familiarize yourself with hand stamp set key terms in order to help your business run more efficiently.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Steel hand stamp sets

Steel hand stamp sets are used for marking products that are made out of materials such as leather or plastic. With a small mallet, the end of the stamp is tapped in order to leave the mark on the item. No ink is used in the this type of stamp set.

I recommend: CVF Supply Company details a steel hand stamp set.

Pre-inked hand stamps

Pre-inked hand stamps come already inked for the perfect amount of ink each time. Pre-inked hand stamps don't require any additional ink pads.

I recommend: Fred L. Lake outlines some pre-inked hand stamp options.

Standard hand stamps

A standard hand stamp has either a wood or plastic handle with the rubber stamp mounted on a flat surface attached to the handle. This type of hand stamp is pressed onto an ink pad before every use in order to ink it.

I recommend: Rubber Stamp Man describes a typical, standard hand stamp.

Beveled

A beveled hand stamp has a groove carved out around the impression. It creates a sharp edge on steel hand stamps that allows the stamp to protrude out in order to make the impression.

I recommend: Pannier Corporation describes some beveled steel hand stamps.

Rounded

A rounded hand stamp eliminates the sharp edge of a beveled hand stamp. The point of the steel stamp is rounded while the impression is raised in order to create the stamp.

I recommend: Argon Tool displays rounded steel hand stamp options.

Combination hand stamp sets

A combination hand stamp set is a mixture of alphabetical and numerical stamps rather than having a whole set of one or the other. Many businesses use combination hand stamp sets because it is more economical than buying the sets separately.

I recommend: Drill Spot discusses a classic combination steel hand stamp set.